Early recipient-donor switch of the complement type after liver xenotransplantation

Liver transplantation is an immunological peculiarity with respect to the resistance of the graft to humoral rejection. We undertook a kinetic analysis of molecules involved in humoral rejection for a period of one week following xenografting in the hamster to rat model system. A complement-dependent lymphocytotoxicity test (CDC) was used to detect anti-donor antibodies in the recipient rats. Complement was studied by two methods. Function of the classical complement pathway was evaluated with a hemolytic assay, and C3 was measured by radial immunodiffusion. Conversion of the major plasma proteins from recipient to donor profile was studied by zone electrophoresis on agarose. CDC showed antibody titers rose during the first week post-transplantation, and they were of complement-activating isotypes. Zone electrophoresis showed almost complete replacement of rat C3 by hamster C3 within 72 hours. Hemolytic assay of complement on day 6 post-transplant showed serum of the xenograft recipients could lyse erythrocytes sensitized with rat antibody with 80% of efficiency of normal rat serum. Our data show the effector molecules for humoral rejection, rat antibodies with anti-hamster specificity and a functional complement cascade, were present within the first week following transplantation. Rapid conversion of serum complement to hamster proteins maintains compatibility with the species-specific membrane inhibitors of complement activation expressed by the xenografted hepatocytes, and could limit complement-mediated damage.